P Chidambaram's "My Advice" Swipe At Centre Over Runaway Inflation

Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram highlighted some solutions on inflation linked to taxes and cess, but added a caveat

Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram has criticised what he called "excess taxation" by the government in an economy that has been badly wounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Chidambaram, who was Finance Minister in the United Progressive Alliance government before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, highlighted some solutions linked to taxes and cess, but added a caveat, "Don't ask for my advice if I am persona non grata. I give advice, don't take it. Take the advice of your own economists and see what happens." "The rise in fuel price is not due to external factors but due to excess local taxes. The central duty exceeds the state excise duty," Mr Chidambaram told NDTV. The wholesale price-based inflation eased marginally in June as crude oil and food items saw some softening in prices. But inflation remains in double-digit for the third consecutive month in June.